14 - Glaciers

14.1 - What Are Glaciers?

In some parts of ice sheets, the bedrock is high enough to protrude through the ice sheet, forming a feature called a nunatak.

Glaciers that form in mountainous regions without being part of a regional ice sheet are called alpine glaciers.

As some valley glaciers or ice sheets flow out of the mountains into broader, less confined topography, the glaciers can spread out, forming piedmont glaciers.

14.2 - What Is the Distribution of Present and Past Glaciers?

The time within an ice age when ice sheets and glaciers advanced are called glacial periods, while the time when they retreated is called interglacial periods.x